Before You Refer

After making a supervisor referral to the EAP, you will want to know if your employee participated in the program, and whether he or she is following through with the EAP's recommendations. You don't need to know about the employee's personal problems and treatment plan. And this information can complicate your job. If there is something you need to know about your employee's p your employee after the referral. Consider the following recommendations:

Ask your employee to sign a release when you make a referral to the EAP. Remind the employee that you will not learn about his personal issues, only whether or not he actually got to the EAP, and whether the EAPs recommendations are being followed.

Expect the EAP to call you with limited information provided in a release signed by your employee. Do not question your employee about his or her involvement with the EAP. Remain focused on job performance (attendance, conduct, quality of work issues.)

If the EAP does not phone to give you information about your employee's attendance and follow-through with its recommendations, call the EAP. If you are unable to learn the status of your employee from the EAP, do not become frustrated. Your employee may not have signed a release for some reason. Simply focus on job performance.